Part two: Yankees get White from Reds

The Yankees had been rumored to be trading their top pitching prospect, Brandon Claussen, plus $3.5 million to the Reds for Aaron Boone and Gabe White. When Major League Baseball reportedly objected to the amount of cash involved, the clubs split that deal into two separate transactions. After getting Boone for Claussen, high Class A lefty Charlie Manning and $1 million in an earlier trade Thursday, the Yankees came back and got White from the Reds for a player to be named later.

White, 31, will become the top lefthander in the Yankees’ bullpen once he comes off the disabled list. He hasn’t pitched since June 20 because of a strained groin, and postponed a scheduled rehabilitation start at Triple-A Louisville this week. Before he got hurt, he went 3-0, 3.93 in 34 games, with a fine 23-6 strikeout-walk ratio in 34 innings and had held lefthanders to a paltry .262 on-base percentage. White’s best pitch is his changeup and he also throws an average fastball. In 390 career games, he has gone 31-22, 4.26 with 16 saves. He’s making $3.15 million this season, the last in a three-year, $7.125 million contract. His contract also contains a team option for a $3.5 million salary or $250,000 buyout in 2004.

Sept. 23 update: The Reds received an undisclosed amount of cash from the Yankees to complete the deal.